Lock for motor-vehicles steering-wheels.



B. HARRINGTON & A. W. CLARKE. LOCK FOR MOTOR VEHICLE STEERING WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPLZI. I916 I v 1,266,015. Patented May14,191 8;

2 SHEEIS-SHEEI I.

B. HARRINGTON & A. W. CLARKE. LOCK FOR MOTOR VEHICLE STEERING WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.2I. I916.

Patented Mayl l, 1918. B

2 SHEEIS-SHEET 2 jnuemors outrun srarns rarrnnr orator- .BER'I'HARRINGTON AND AFAIK W. CLARKE, 0F DES MGINES, IOWA.

LOCK FOR MOTOR-VEHICLE STEEBING-VJHEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ma 14, 1911s.

Application filed September 21, 1916. Serial No. 121,458. I

nection with an automobile steering wheel,

and having parts adapted to coact with parts of the steering wheel,whereby the wheel may be locked against any movement.

Stilla further object is to provide such a lock of a combination type,and so constructed and arranged that no key or separate part such aswould be likely to be lost or uuslaid, is necessary ior tne o eration oithe look.

A further object is to provide such a lock in combination with asteering wheel, having the parts so constructed and arranged that thesteering wheel can be locked in different, I positions for locking thefront wheels of the motor vehicle in differentpositions.

Still afurther object is to provide such a look so constructed andarranged that the interior parts thereof are very dificult of access.

A further object is to provide such a look so constructed and mounted onthe vehicle as not to detract from the appearance of such vehicle.

Our invention consists in the construction,

' arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device,whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fullyset forth, pointed out in our .claim, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a portion of the steering wheelshown, equipped with a lock embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged, central, vertical, sectional view through thelocking mechanism.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective, detail view of the locking member whichcarries the bolts.

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view of the upper combination locking ring. I

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of a portion of the fixed supportingmember for the lock parts.

Fig. 6 shows a vertical, sectional view through the locking device, withthe locking bolts in operative position.

' Fig. 7 shows a vertical sectional view of a portion of the lockingparts in another of their-positions. 1

Fig. 8 shows a detail sectional view, taken,

on the line 8 -8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 shows a detail, sectional view, taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 shows a detail sectional view, taken on the line 10-10 of Fig.2, and

Fig. 11 shows an inverted, plan view of the wheel head.

In the accompanying drawings we have used the reference numeral 10 toindicate generally the fixed steering post of a motor vehicle, on theupper end of which is rotatably mounted a steering wheelll having acentral hub member which we will call the head 12. The head 12 has anannular'peripheral flange 13 extending downwardly,

for purposes hereinafter more fully explained. In the under surface ofthe head 12 and arranged in a circle between the flange 13 and thesteering post 10, are a plurality of openings 14 projecting upwardlyinto 'thehead 12, preferably arranged in opposite pairs.

Mounted on the steering post below the head 12 and fixed to the steeringpost, is a locking device member comprising a cylinder 15 which shouldbe fixed with relation to the vehicle frame, the upper end of whichengages the under surface of the head 12. The cylinder 15 preferablyfits snugly on the steering post 10. At its lower end the cylinder 15 isprovided with an annular, outwardly extending flange 16, clearly shownfor instance in Figs. 2 and 6. The cylinder 15 has in its outer surfacea pair of opposite grooves, one of which extends the entire length ofthe cylinder 15, and the other of which is shorter. The longer groove wehave indicated by the reference character 17 and the shorter groove bythe reference numeral 18. The outer surface of the cylind or 15 is alsoprovided with a longitudinal groove 19 extending from its upper end to apoint near the flange 16.

S"'dably mounted upon the cylinder 15 is an annuiar/band or ring 20,having in its outer surface a spiral thread 21. Projecting Oil 20 to thewheel head 12.

Formed on the inner so 7 20 are opposite ribs respective locking boltsdownwardly below one of l M locking bar 24, outer surface 0" i 7 s eeveflush with the outer sin and provided with transverse similar to thescrew tlireecl J of the locking bolts eno 2% is such that when the lowerend or? bar 2 rests agains the flange 16, the nope-i:

39 nrovide. z l=--1,, s. SCLSW elltl'ufil It lll be seethe einst on l2and. l the putts oere xeo, and that wl Zl'l sen v sleeve "t th. mg 20will be mt upends of the locking bolts 22 flush with or downwardly,depending upon the the upper surface of the i 31 l" tlnfe-ouon of rttition of the sleeve Ween Rotatably mount l on hereinbefore clescribeat rotated to no r i L where the notches so are i l1 each other entl in'ter Witt 35 1?, the ring may be moved ownwerclly to the extreme i Theupper groove than lower grooves 21." in

the cylinder 15 is an is oneof a plurality of i call the combination loc'n V saicl rings has on its int nular, inwardly extending in be notedthat there is thus to SOT E below the flange 2-6 a rabbet tor loan itmay receive the tie;

open space above and below the fiitllg the notches 35 are in elinemetween the main body of the ring e 1 31 and in register with the 9;

cylinder 15. rino; 2O in low position, Mounted on the cylinder 15 abovet [on of the ring or the ring" ing ring 25 is a ring 27 prefer; theflange 96 or the a Q5 What snialler diameter than th only be, to enterone of the lower so arranged as to permitthe the upper side groove S1,

of the ring 25. The ring; lie is lOOlifitl against an" tending inwardlyinto the cylinder 15, whereby the against rotation.

iotetably mount above the ring 2? Rotntably mounted on above the 1111;:29 1s mo locking ring 32, having;

onett, how cliti'ioult an inwardly exteneln 1 1 V0116 (n10 tiltl notknow 1 11:3 extending from a point 7 7 ork our iniprovetl lecn Bysurface to a point spaced Axon-i i i v ,f v u just Ilescribefl itWill'be face, In the l0; er surtzn q the lock is in use. he tion lockingring 34 is e l may be mov almost entirely eronncl. no v12o shown in Fig.4-.

All of the rings liei'einb provided on their inner cal notches 35, soerror may be brought to position Where i notches are in alinement antire the groove 17 in the outer s sro, er character e1 thereon cylinder1-5. The rings or outer 42, whereupon the erably provided with pe iyhe".lll be opposite the and downwardly extent The 139 ea ers ring 32 isthen rotated in the proper direction until the pin 31 is engaged-by thesolid portion 43 and the ring 29 rotated until the proper indicatingcharacter on the ring 32 is opposite the character 42, whereupon thenotch 35 of the ring 29 will be opposite the groove 17. Thereupon thering 32 is rotated in'the opposite direction until the proper characterthereon is opposite the character 42, at which time the notch 35 in thering 32 will be opposite the groove 17. The rings then being in properposition the sleeve 39 may be rotated for moving the ring 23 upwardly.

The openings 14 are so arranged that, when the front wheels of thevehicle are headed directly forward, two of the opposite openings 14will be exactly above the grooves 17 and 18 and above the locking 1bolts 22. Other openings 14 are so arranged :that when the steeringwheel is moved to different positions for moving the front wheels of thevehicle in difi'erent positions,

certain pairs of the openings 14 will be above the locking bolts so thatthe wheels positions.

Assuming that the steering wheel is in any of its positions whereopenings 14 are directly above the locking bolts, then when the sleeve39 is rotated the ring 20 will be moved of the vehicle may be locked ina variety of upwardly and the locking bolts 22 will enter the openings14. When the ring 20 has been moved to its upper limit of movement, thering 32 or the ring 25 may be rotated. The parts are so proportionedthat when the ring 20 is in its upper position and the ring 32 isrotated, the flange 33 on said ringwill rest immediately below the loweredge of the ring 20.

For unlocking the device the user must again rotate the rings ashereinbefore described,to the proper positions for bringing the notches35 into l'ine with each other and with the groove 17, whereupon thesleeve 39 may be rotated for moving the rin 20 downwardly andwithdrawing the loc' ing bolts 22 from the openings 14. Y

Attention is called to some of the advantages of our improved lockingdevice. It has already been mentioned that the front Wheels of the .carmay be locked in a variety of positions. On account of the constructionand arrangement of the; various combination locking rings and the partsconnected therewith, it will be seen that it would be extremelydifiicult tb work the look without knowing the combination. Forinstance, if a person desiring to tamper with the car should rotate thering 32 until the notch 35 therein should be below the locking bar 24,then it would be possible to rotate the sleeve 39 and also the ring 20until the lower end of the locking bar 24 entered the notch 35 of thering 32. Further downward move ment of the locking bar, however, wouldbe prevented by the flange 30 on the concealed wing 29, and it would beimpossible to move the ring 20 farther toward unlocking position withoutfirst rotating the sleeve 39 for moving the ring 20 to its upper limitof movement and thereafter rotating the ring 32 to position for causingthe solid portion 43 to engage the pin 31 for moving the ring 29 toposition where the notch 35 of the ring 29 would be in register with thegroove 17.

In Fig. 7 we have shown the parts in the position which they wouldassume if a person tampering with the machine should rotate the ring 32to position where its notch would register with the cove 17 and wouldthereupon lower the lockmgbar to entersaid notch 35. It is seen that thelower end of the locking bar would then engage the flan e 30 of theconcealedlocking ring 29. t such a time in the operation of the machineit would be impossible to further rotatethe upper locking ring 32. Itwould be absolutely impossible when the ring '20 is in its upperposition to determine by sense of feeling or hearing when the concealedlocking ring might be in position for unlocking the device. It will beseen that by varying the relative positions of the notches 35 withrelation to the indicating characters 41 on the combination lockingrings, and by varyingthe position of the pin 31 on the ring 29, animmense variety 0 combinations may be had.

On account of the use of the flanges 13, 36 and 3? the working parts arethoroughly concealed, sb that it would be very difiicult for a persondesiring to tamper with a machine to determine where to begin to use afile or other tool for disturbing he look. It would also be verdiiiicult to employ a lever of any kind to any advantage for getting atthe interior of the look when it 18 once installed on the top.

The lock has no separate parts and is always ready for use when onceinstalled. It can be placed on a car without detracting from theappearance thereof.

it isour intention to cover by this application and the patent to beissued thereon, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanicalequivalents which may come within the reasonable scope of our claim.

We claim as our invention:

In an automobile steering wheel lock, the combination of a steeringpost, a wheel mounted thereon, having a hub provided with openings, afixed cylindrical member mounted on said post, a cylinder slidablybutnon-rotatably mounted on said member having an upwardly extendinglocking bolt adapted to selectively enter said openings, and having adownwardly extending member, said cylinder and last described memberbeing provided with external screw- Encking said cylinder 131 5:10:13,the parts belng so am "8.- last (301121-33 1s held against a" gemenr, bysaid locking rungs on der.

, Iowa, September 12, 1916. I

HARRINGTON 1 1. CLARKE-

